Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves hammered Jon Lester in his first start for the St. Louis Cardinals, scoring five runs in the first inning and cruising to a 6-1 victory. The 37-year-old Lester (3-6), acquired from Washington last week, allowed the first seven hitters to reach and did not record an out until his 27th pitch. Jorge Soler, picked up from the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Kasey Kalich last week, hit a two-run homer to start the scoring. It was his first homer for the Braves and his 14th of the season. Freeman and Austin Riley followed with singles before Dansby Swanson and Joc Pederson added run-scoring hits.
CHICAGO (AP) — Dylan Cease allowed one hit in six scoreless innings, matching a season high with 11 strikeouts, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Tuesday night. Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn homered for AL Central-leading Chicago, which had dropped three of four at fourth-place Kansas City last week. Cease walked two and threw 103 pitches, allowing only Edward Olivares' leadoff single in the third inning, to nab his first win since June 30. Michael Kopech, Garrett Crochet and Ryan Tepera completed the three-hitter.
UNDATED (AP) — The commissioners of the Pac-12 and Big 12 are discussing how the two conferences might benefit from working together or maybe even merging. Two people with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press about the talks between Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and George Kliavkoff from the Pac-12. The Big 12 is trying to rebound after learning Texas and Oklahoma plan to leave for the Southeastern Conference in 2025. The Big 12 has to start looking at how to move forward without their flagship programs immediately. The Pac-12 has not indicated it is in a rush to add members.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (AP) — The Ohio Valley Conference has sued Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State, contending they have not paid $1 million exit fees after both schools left the league this year for the Atlantic Sun Conference. The OVC said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the schools have refused to pay exit fees agreed upon by conference members. The league reminded the schools several months ago but were ignored until just before they left and said they would not pay the fees. The OVC said it has no ill will toward either school but wants both to honor their commitments. Eastern Kentucky said it disagreed with the OVC's assertions and will "articulate the merits of our position in the proper arena." Messages left with Jacksonville State were not immediately returned.
Update on the latest sports
OLYMPICS
US mining for gold at Olympic Stadium
TOKYO (AP) — The gold medals are beginning to trickle in for U.S track and field athletes at the Tokyo Games.
Sydney McLaughlin has broken her own world record to win the women's 400-meter hurdles in 51.46 seconds. She edged out Dalilah Muhammad, who won silver to make it a U.S. 1-2 finish.
McLaughlin set the previous world record of 51.90 seconds in June.
Also in Tokyo:
— Breanna Stewart scored 20 of her 23 points in the first half to help the U.S. women's basketball team beat Australia, 79-55 in the quarterfinals. Trailing 5-2, Stewart scored seven consecutive points to start a 19-1 run. The Americans will face Serbia on Friday in the semifinals looking to advance to their seventh consecutive gold medal game.
— The U.S. women's volleyball team has made it to the semifinals for the sixth time in the past eight Olympics by beating the Dominican Republic in straight sets. The Americans advanced despite playing without injured starters Jordyn Poulter and Jordan Thompson.
— NBA veteran Pau Gasol (powe gah-SAHL') has been voted by his fellow Tokyo Games athletes to represent them as a member of the International Olympic Committee. Gasol will be an IOC member for seven years through the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where he won two NBA titles with the Lakers. The results were announced the day after Gasol and Spain lost in the quarterfinals to the United States.
— American silver medalist Raven Saunders says her mother has died. The shot putter wrote on her Twitter account early today that "my mama was a great woman and will forever live through me. My number one guardian angel." Media reports say that Clarissa Saunders died in Orlando, Florida, where she had been attending Olympic watch parties.
— Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden got off to a hot start in women's golf at the Olympics. She played a bogey-free round for a 66. That gives her a one-shot lead over top-ranked Nelly Korda of the United States and Aditi Ashok of India.
— Italy has broken its own world record to win the gold medal in men's team pursuit cycling at the Tokyo Olympics. It was a dramatic final at the Izu Velodrome as they edged world champion Denmark. The Italians led through the first half of the 4,000-meter race, then watched as the Danish team pulled ahead. Over the last five laps, the Italians wiped out a deficit of nearly a half-second to win the gold medal. Australia, the silver medalist in Rio, took bronze.
— A Russian athlete competing in karate has been ruled out of the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for the coronavirus. Anna Chernysheva was the Russian Olympic Committee team's only karate athlete at the Olympics. The 19-year-old was due to compete Thursday in the women's 55-kilogram kumite event.
— A Belarusian sprinter has left Tokyo en route to Europe after resisting an attempt by her Olympic team's officials to send her home to Belarus. The athlete says she fears she could be in danger from authorities in her country who have relentlessly cracked down on dissent. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya boarded a plane at Tokyo's Narita International Airport on this morning that left the gate for Vienna, but she was expected to travel on to Poland later in the day.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Phils cut Mets' lead again
UNDATED (AP) — Make it a 1 1/2-game lead for the New York Mets over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Taijuan Walker and the Mets continued their post All-Star break fade with a 5-4 loss to the Marlins.
Alex Jackson hit his first career home run and Bryan De La Cruz had three hits as the last-place Marlins handed the Mets their fifth loss in six games.
Isan Díaz also homered and Lewis Brinson had two hits and scored twice for Miami.
Walker was reached for four runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He is 0-3 with a 12.00 ERA since in four starts since pitching in the All-Star Game.
Meanwhile, the Phillies have picked up three games on New York since Sunday after Bryce Harper hit a solo shot against his former team to give Philadelphia a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning of a 5-4 win at Washington.
Jean Segura, J.T. Realmuto (ree-al-NOO'-toh) and Ronald Torreyes (toh-RAY'-ehs) also homered to back Zack Wheeler, who was able to pitch into the eighth.
The Phils bullpen shut the door after Wheeler gave up a two-run homer to Josh Bell in the eighth.
In other major league action:
— Madison Bumgarner threw seven stellar innings to beat his former team for the first time, sending the Diamondbacks past the Giants, 3-1. The Giants scored their only run against Bumgarner on Curt Casali's solo homer in the fifth. Asdrúbal Cabrera's two-RBI double helped Arizona prevent San Francisco from padding its 3 1/2-game lead over Los Angeles atop the NL West.
— Lance McCullers Jr. threw 6 2/3 shutout innings and the Astros withstood the raucous, heckling fans at Dodger Stadium to blank Los Angeles, 3-0. The largest crowd at Dodger Stadium this season had waited a long time to let José Altuve (al-TOO-vay), Carlos Correa and the Astros know just how they felt about possibly being cheated out of a 2017 World Series title. Michael Brantley's RBI double gave Houston a 1-0 lead before Yordan (yohr-DAHN') Alvarez smacked a two-run homer to cap the scoring.
— Tommy Pham hit a leadoff homer and Austin Nola had four hits and two RBIs for the Padres in a 8-1 pounding of the Athletics. Manny Machado added two hits and scored twice in support of Blake Snell, who was reached for just one run despite pitching around traffic for five innings. Starling Marte had three hits for Oakland, which is 5 1/2 games behind the AL West-leading Astros.
— The Twins pulled out a 7-5 win over the Reds on Jorge Polanco's three-run blast with one out in the ninth. Mitch Garver had a three-run homer in the fifth for the Twins, who had lost four of their previous five games. Jonathan India, Eugenio (ay-oo-HEH'-nee-oh) Suárez and Tucker Barnhart went deep for Cincinnati.
— The Reds remain 7 1/2 games off the NL Central lead after the first-place Brewers wasted a 4-0 lead in an 8-5, 10-inning loss to the Pirates. Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser was pulled after tossing hitless ball over 6 1/3 innings. Gregory Polanco singled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th and Bryan Reynolds followed with a two-run single.
— The Braves hammered Jon Lester in his first start for the Cardinals, scoring five runs in the first inning and cruising to a 6-1 victory. The 37-year-old Lester allowed the first seven hitters to reach and did not record an out until his 27th pitch. Jorge Soler (soh-LEHR') smacked a two-run homer and Freddie Freeman went deep to help Atlanta climb within 2 1/2 games of the NL East lead.
— The Rockies routed the Cubs, 13-6 as Elías (eh-LEE'-ehs) Díaz hit a grand slam and Kyle Freeland got his first win in more than a month. Freeland gave up two runs over five innings before being removed with a left foot contusion. Sam Hilliard also homered and C.J. Cron had three hits and three RBIs for Colorado.
— The Mariners beat the Rays for the second straight day as Abraham Toro and Jarred Kelenic (keh-LEH'-nihk) homered in Seattle's 4-2 decision over Tampa Bay. Yusei Kikuchi limited the AL East leaders to two runs and six hits over six innings after going 0-3 over his previous four starts. Randy Arozarena (ah-roh-zah-REH'-nah) homered for the Rays, who are 0-6 versus the M's this season.
— Tampa Bay's lead in the AL East remains a game over Boston after the Red Sox absorbed their season-high fifth loss in a row, 4-2 at Detroit. Miguel Cabrera hit his 498th home run and added a single, giving him 2,944 career hits to move ahead of Frank Robinson for 36th place all-time. Garrett Richards took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in four-plus innings.
— The Blue Jays tore through a 7-2 win over the Indians as Hyun-Jin Ryu (hyoon-jihn ree-OO') allowed two runs over seven innings. Ryu retired the first six batters and striking out eight to help the Blue Jays win for the fifth time in six games since returning to Toronto last Friday. George Springer and Teoscar Hernandez provided first-inning homers for the Jays.
— Giancarlo Stanton contributed a three-run homer and four RBIs to the Yankees' 13-1 assault on the Orioles. Aaron Judge also homered and winning Luis Gil won his major league debut by scattering four hits over six shutout innings. Gil was pressed into service after Gerrit Cole was placed on the COVID-19 injured list on Monday.
— Dylan Cease (sees) matched a season high with 11 strikeouts and allowed one hit in six scoreless innings, pitching the White Sox to a 7-1 win against the Royals. Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn homered for AL Central-leading Chicago, which had dropped three of four at fourth-place Kansas City last week. Anderson added an RBI single in Chicago's four-run seventh, his third hit of the night.
— Top prospect Jo Adell drove in three runs while reaching base four times in his season debut as the Angels hammered the Rangers, 11-3. Phil Gosselin had three RBI singles and Jack Mayfield homered to help Los Angeles win for only the second time in six games.
MLB-NEWS
Montgomery joins Cole on Yankees' COVID-19 list
UNDATED (AP) — New York Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after fellow starter Gerrit Cole was sidelined by the virus.
Montgomery and Cole will be out at least 10 days unless they draw two negative test results. They share the team lead with 21 starts.
In other major league news:
— Red Sox closer Matt Barnes is in quarantine and awaiting test results after being placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Barnes is 5-2 with 23 saves and a 2.30 ERA, but hadn't pitched since a save against the Jays last Wednesday.
— Rays ace Tyler Glasnow will undergo Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, sidelining him the rest of this year and possibly all of next season as well. Glasnow has been on the injured list since June 15 after going 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 14 starts.
NCAA-GENDER EQUITY
NCAA gender equity review recommends combined Final Four
UNDATED (AP) — A law firm hired to investigate gender equity concerns at NCAA championship events says the association has not lived up to its own standards.
The report recommended holding the men's and women's Final Fours at the same site. It also calls for financial incentives to schools to improve their women's basketball programs.
The review was requested in March after the NCAA failed to provide equal amenities to the teams in the men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
AP sources: Pac-12, Big 12 commissioners consider alliances
UNDATED (AP) — The commissioners of the Pac-12 and Big 12 are discussing how the two conferences might benefit from working together or maybe even merging.
Two people with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press about the talks between Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and George Kliavkoff from the Pac-12. The Big 12 is trying to rebound after learning Texas and Oklahoma plan to leave for the Southeastern Conference in 2025.
The Pac-12 has not indicated it is in a rush to add members.
NFL-VIKINGS-GLADNEY
Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney indicted for felony assault
DALLAS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney has been indicted by a Texas grand jury for felony assault of a woman he was previously in a relationship with.
Gladney was a first-round draft pick last year out of TCU. He started 15 games for the Vikings as a rookie. He remains on the roster but has not been around the team since his arrest in April in Dallas.
Gladney is charged with domestic violence by impeding breathing. No court date has been scheduled. Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf calls the allegations "very disturbing."
NFL-NEWS
Panthers' Kirkwood removed by ambulance after taking hit
UNDATED (AP) — Carolina Panthers wide receiver Keith Kirkwood was hit in the neck area during practice Tuesday, carted off the field and taken away by ambulance. The player who struck him was kicked out of practice and waived.
The team says Kirkwood sustained a concussion, was released from the hospital and is back with the team.
In other news from NFL camps:
— Jets offensive lineman Cameron Clark has a bruised spinal cord and is expected to make a full recovery after he was hospitalized Tuesday with a neck injury. Clark was put on what appeared to be a spinal board and then carted to an ambulance waiting on the side of the field. Coach Robert Saleh immediately called off practice.
— Colts All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson is expected to miss five to 12 weeks after having surgery on his injured foot. Coach Frank Reich says it's the same injury that will sideline new starting quarterback Carson Wentz. Nelson has never missed a game in his three-year career.
— Deshaun Watson missed practice for the first time since Texans' camp began, but coach David Culley refused to explain why. Watson's future is uncertain after he asked for a trade in January before 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them in March.
— Browns starting middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. will not need surgery, but is expected to miss an extended period with a right knee injury sustained on a noncontact play in training camp Monday. Walker started 48 games over the past four seasons for the Indianapolis Colts before signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the Browns in March.
— The Vikings have passed Washington as the lowest vaccinated team in the league. According to a person with knowledge of the NFL data, 70% of Minnesota's roster has received at least one dose and 64.5% are fully vaccinated. The low number has drawn the ire of coach Mike Zimmer as the Vikes continue to practice without Kirk Cousins and two other quarterbacks due to COVID-19 protocols.
NBA-NEWS
Curry gets big extension
UNDATED (AP) — Stephen Curry will continue to draw some pretty hefty paychecks from the Golden State Warriors for a few more years.
The four-year, $215 million extension will carry through the 2025-26 season. Curry had one year remaining on his current five-year, $201 million package.
The deal was first reported by ESPN and was confirmed to the AP by Curry's agent.
He averaged 32.0 points, 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds and shot 42.1% from 3-point range for the Warriors this past season.
Also around the NBA:
— The Bulls have acquired high-scoring small forward DeMar DeRozan a day after adding point guard Lonzo Ball. A person familiar with the deal says the Bulls agreed to a three-year, $85 million contract with DeRozan as part of a sign-and-trade with San Antonio. It was not clear what the Spurs are getting in return.
— Carmelo Anthony has agreed to a one-year deal with the Lakers, uniting him with fellow 2003 draft pick LeBron James. The 37-year-old Anthony averaged 13.4 points and made 40.9% of his 3-pointers coming off the bench for Portland last season.
— The Cavaliers filled one of their biggest needs, acquiring veteran point guard Ricky Rubio from the Timberwolves. Cleveland sent forward Taurean Prince, a 2022 second-round draft pick and cash to Minnesota for the 10-year NBA veteran.
TENNIS-OSAKA
Osaka to skip Montreal event
MONTREAL (AP) — Naomi Osaka has pulled out of a hard-court tune-up to be played in Montreal this month ahead of the U.S. Open.
The tournament announced the withdrawals of Osaka and two other top-10 players who have won Grand Slam titles, Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek.
Osaka is coming off a third-round loss at the Tokyo Olympics, her first tournament since withdrawing before her second-round match at the French Open due to mental health issues.
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